In a cleanroom at Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center, engineers Neil Tomosada and Sean McCully inspect the sensor head for the Geostationary Lightning Mapper. Photo: Lockheed Martin

[Via Satellite 10-17-2014] Lockheed Martin has transferred the first Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) instrument to its Denver Colo. facility for integration into the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R (GOES R) series.

The GLM leverages technology originally designed for the Lightning Imaging Sensor used on NASA‘s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission. The device has a 1.8-megapixel focal plane and can capture images at 500 frames per second. It also includes noise electronics and specialized optics for pinpointing weak lightning signals in difficult observing conditions.

“A rapid increase of in-cloud lightning can precede severe weather on the ground. Changes in that type of lightning can also give us a better understanding of the updraft strength in thunderstorms,” said Russell Katz, GLM deputy program manager at Lockheed Martin.

The first GOES R satellite is slated to launch in early 2016 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).